Web-centric Computing

Assignment 1: Install and Configure Web Server

Purpose

To gain experience and familiarity with WWW software.  To provide a platform for later assignments.

Dates

Description

1. Part One: Install Your Own Web Server
   1. make a ~/cs3172 directory for yourself
   2. get a copy of the latest stable version of the Apache server from <URL:http://httpd.apache.org/>
   3. install the server in your ~/cs3172 directory
   4. keep a copy of the install log and any configuration files you used
   5. start the server running on a port of your choosing and  leave it running for the duration of the course
   6. bring the port number and your name to class on the due date
2. Part Two: Create Your Own Website
   • The main page must include your name but not your student identification number.
   • Your website must have a topic.  The topic for the website should be general enough to design a minimum of 5 pages with a tree depth of at least 3.
   • Make sure that you have minimum 100 words (a medium-sized paragraph) on each webpage.
   • The website must have no priority 1 accessibility errors (as defined by the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (see the checklist at <URL:http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/full-checklist.html>).
   • Every webpage on the site must be written in valid XHTML.
   • The grader must be able to test your website by pointing a WWW browser to <URL:http://torch.cs.dal.ca:port/> (where port is the port number that you are using for your server).  The assignment does not need to be at that exact address but whatever webpage is at that address should instruct the grader how to find your assignment — however the assignment must be on your server.

Grading

The criteria given above are the baseline (B+) for the assignment.  Anything you do above of those could increase your overall points for this assignment such as minimizing Priority 2 errors, sensible use of CSS, etc.  These criteria are reflected in a draft of the grading form (in PDF). 

Note that you might get a bonus for content.  Such bonuses might be for content that demonstrates or explains topics that are relevant to the course.  Dalhousie's academic integrity policy (see Dalhousie's academic integrity website and the course syllabus for details) applies to this assignment.

Advice and Help

• Create a directory in torch's /tmp to do the compiling, etc. in.
  1. torch% cd /tmp
  2. torch% mkdir $USER
  3. torch% cd $USER
  4. torch% pwd
  Remember: nothing in /tmp is backed-up, and it can be deleted at anytime.
• To install the server:
  • follow the instructions in the file named INSTALL
  • More detailed instructions are in the Documentation section of the Apache website.  For example, the configuration and installation instructions for version 2.2 are at <URL:http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/install.html>.
  • If the configure program does not understand the tilde (~) notation then use $HOME instead of ~ (tilde), i.e.

    torch% ./configure --prefix=$HOME/cs3172

• To configure the server:
  • Edit the http.conf file.  You do not have to use the vi editor — you may use any text editor you want (e.g. pico, emacs, vi).
  • Change the value of the Listen directive to set the port you want your server to use.  The initial value will probably be 80, but you will need to use a different port.
  • Only ports between 1025 and 65535 are available for general use.
  • You may also need to change the ServerName parameter. If you need to change it then an error message will tell you so.
• Make sure that you (1) have your server installed below your own ~/cs3172 directory, and (2) that you make an extra copy of your configuration files under that directory too.
  • By default, your configuration file will be PREFIX/conf/httpd.conf
• By default the XHTML files that encode your website will be in the PREFIX/htdocs/ directory. 
• For more information on accessibility issues, read the websites listed in the User Interface (UI) and Accessibility part of the Resource section's website list.
• For more information on html validation, see the documentation at the W3C's Validator website.

Submitting

Bring the port number and your name to class on the due date. You will be using that server all semester.

http://www.cs.dal.ca/~jamie/course/CS/3172/assig/1-Server/2009-1-apache.html

Version:

21 September 2009

CS 3172 Prof:

J. Blustein <jamie@cs.dal.ca>